I have had problems trying to transfer my Rice files from an older word processing program to Microsoft Word. I tried to get all columns straight this morning in my other e-mail, but I know that won't last with e-mail transmission. Also, I have discovered that was from a slightly older version of that particular Rice generation. There may be some repetition between it and the following: Henry Stirling, son of John Stirling and Catherine Taylor, was born between 1765 and 1775 and died in 1806 in Knox Co., TN. He married Elinor Stirling, daughter of John Stirling (I assume they were two different John Stirlings) and Hannah ________, on Feb 4, 1790 in Botetourt Co., VA. Elinor was probably born around 1770 to 1780. John Patterson Sterling, Sr., apparent son of Henry and Elinor, was born on 30 Jun 1799 in Knox Co., TN, and died on 15 Aug 1855. On 16 Aug 1821, John married (1) Sarah ("Sallie") Anderson in Knox Co. She was born before 1814 in Knox Co., and died about 1838 in Tennessee. John married (2) Elizabeth Bell on 20 May 1839 in Blount Co., TN. According to Harriet Vaught's book, White Co., IL Wills 1816-1916, John's will stated "his wife, Betsy Sterling gets land and livestock. Son John P. Sterling gets the farm we now live on after the death of my wife. Daughter Nancy, the bed, clothing, all the debts here and in the state of Tanasee be paid. All the other children to receive money. They are: Thomas Sterling, Henry Sterling, Margaret Sterling, Letty Sterling, Robert A. Sterling, and Jesse B. Henson is to have two more years on his promisary note over $169 if it is not convenient for him to pay sooner, with terms of interest. 7th August 1855. Witnesses: R. (Robert) A. Silliman and John A. Adams. Probated 22nd August 1858 by Ruben Emerson. These are the children of John P. and Sarah (Anderson) Sterling: 1. Thomas Sterling, born 29 May 1822 in Knox Co., TN. (See below) 2. Henry Sterling, born 20 Oct 1823 in Knox Co., TN, and died on 24 May 1886 in Blount Co., TN, and was buried in Big Springs Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Blount Co. He married (1) Sarah Caroline McCall on 5 Sep 1850 in Blount Co. Sarah was born on 16 Apr 1824 in Blount Co., and she died 21 Dec 1861 in Blount Co. Henry then married (2) Sarah Elizabeth Dunlap on 28 Oct 1862 in Blount Co. She was born 7 Jan 1831 in Blount Co., and died there on 18 Oct 1903. She was also buried in Big Springs Presbyterian Church Cemetery. 3. Nancy Sterling was born on 17 Sep 1825 in Knox Co., TN, and died, unmarried, 9 Feb 1902 in Stokes, White Co., IL. At the time she was living in the home of her brother, John Sterling. She was buried at West Union Cemetery in Carmi, IL. 4. Robert A. (Anderson?) Sterling was born about 1829 in Knox Co., TN. The censuses agree with this year of birth, as does his age of 57 in the record of his marriage to (2) Louise Compton in 1886, although the birth date of 1836 crept into his obituary. Robert died 9 Aug 1897 at his home in Mt. Vernon, Jefferson Co., IL, a county north of and adjacent to Hamilton Co., IL. He was buried at Old Union Cemetery, Jefferson Co. According to Legacy of Kin by Harold G. Felty, Robert married three times, but only his last wife was named in his obituary - Miss Louise Compton. White Co. marriage records show his marriage to Mary Jane McClellan on 11 Dec 1851. Censuses through 1880 continue to show Mary Jane in his household as his wife and the mother of their children. Mary Jane was born about 13 Feb 1829 in TN, died 23 Feb 1884 near Sacramento, White Co., IL, and was buried in Sharon Cemetery, White Co., IL. Please note that had Robert been born in 1836 he would have been very young for this marriage. There is a marriage record copied into a book of Blount Co., TN marriages, transcribed from the actual records by Will E. Parham, for a marriage between a Robert A. Sterling and Nancy L. Brown that took place on 30 Jan 1855, but this would have been during the time of his marriage to Mary Jane McClellan unless there was a transcription error in the marriage year. It is possible that the Blount Co. groom was another Robert A. Sterling, very likely related to our subject. We do know that Robert A. Sterling's last marriage was in White Co., IL, on 17 Mar 1886 to Miss Louisa Compton, 40, of Grayville, IL. She was born, according to her marriage age, about 1846 and was the daughter of Joseph Compton and Elizabeth Graybell. Perhaps Robert had a second marriage between February 1884, when Mary Jane died, and March 1886 when he married Louisa. 5. Margaret Sterling, born 14 Aug 1831 in Knox Co., TN, and died on 17 Apr 1859 in White Co., IL. She married George Whitfield Miller on 2 Mar 1854 in White Co., IL. George was born 13 Aug 1819 in Enfield, White Co., IL. He died in 1886. 6. Falmier Sterling was born about 1833 in Tennessee. 7. Latimer ("Lettie") Sterling was born 11 Apr 1834 in Knox Co., TN, and died 8 Aug 1862 in Illinois. She was buried in West Union Cemetery, White Co., IL. Latimer married John S. Greer on 28 Mar 1855 in White Co., IL. John was born about 1834/1835 in White Co., IL, the son of Acquilla Greer. 8. John Patterson Sterling, Jr., was born about 1836 in Knox Co., TN, died on 8 Mar 1905 in Stokes Station (Indian Creek Township), White Co., IL, and was buried in West Union Cemetery, Carmi Township, White Co. IL. John married Martha Elizabeth Brockett on 14 Mar 1872 in Carmi, White Co., IL. She was born on 23 May 1945 in White Co., died on 19 Jun 1895 in Stokes Station White Co., and was also buried in West Union Cemetery. Martha was the daughter of William Win Brockett and Martha Matilda Bayley. 9. Sarah Anderson Sterling was born about 1838 in Knox Co., TN, and died before 1897. She married James Alexander Endsley, son of James Endsley and Sarah McGilliard, on 10 Feb 1853 in White Co., IL. James was born on 20 Mar 1833 in North Carolina and died on 25 Nov 1896 in Peru, Chautauqua Co., Kansas. He served during the Civil War: Co. G, 29th Inf. Regt., Illinois Volunteers from White Co., IL. One of James' sisters, Rebecca Jane Endsley, married one of Sarah's brothers, Thomas Sterling. Another of James' sisters, Deborah Endsley, married John Henry McClellan, the brother of Robert A. Sterling's first wife. Thomas Sterling, first child (above) of John Patterson Sterling, Sr. and Sarah ("Sallie") Anderson, was born 29 May 1822, Knox Co, TN. He served in the Union Army, Co. B, 56 IL Vol. Inf., but died at home in Sacramento, IL, White Co., IL on 2 May 1862, from disease contracted while in the army. Thomas was married on 11 Dec 1845 in Blount Co., TN, to Rebecca J. Endsley, by Harvey H. C. Caruthers (who had also officiated at the marriage of Nancy M. C. Sterling, in Blount Co., on 19 Jul 1832); Rebecca, the daughter of James Endsley and Sarah McGilliard, was born 29 Jun 1825 in North Carolina (date of birth listed as Jan 1825 in Vaught's White County, IL Cemeteries) and died 4 July 1901 in White Co., IL. She and Thomas were both buried at Old Sharon Church Cemetery, Sacramento, between Enfield and Norris City, White Co., IL. After Thomas died in 1862, Rebecca (Endsley) Sterling married #2 John Sigler on 6 Oct 1864 in White Co., IL. John Sigler had married his first wife, Isabella W. Black, on 2 Dec 1841, in White Co., IL. John and Isabella had been recorded as residents Shadsville, Hamilton Co., IL in the 1860 census. John was born 2 Nov 1809 in KY, and died 28 Dec 1902.